Hiding in Plain Sight
by A. Alice-LaCasse
Summary: He didn't know whether to love her or to hate her. But at the end of it all, he realised that he felt a little bit of both. — [Thorin x OC]


_I have nothing clever to say except it's Thorin, so, yeah. I guess I got caught in another 'complex character' trap. Oh boy. _

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**-Hiding in Plain Sight-**

**One: **_Beginnings_

The sun was shining brightly in the Shire as Arianna hurried down the path to see her old friend. The morning was stunningly beautiful, with birds chirping merrily and lush green grass brushing against her bare feet. Her breaths came out in short pants as she hurried down a hill, her wild curls flying everywhere. She managed to wave at few familiar faces most of them just giving her a disapproving shake of head although they were used to seeing her running almost everywhere.

It was only few minutes later when a familiar hole in the ground became visible and Arianna quickly removed a small container with cream in it from her compact shoulder-bag, clenching it tightly in her hand.

To her immense surprise she noticed that someone else was already having a conversation with her friend. It was a tall man, dressed completely in grey, leaning slightly on his walking stick, and turned his head in her direction when the sound of her hurried footsteps drew near.

"Bilbo!" she yelled out, finally coming to a stop as she let out a shallow huff. "You left behind the burn cream I made for you yesterday."

Bilbo Baggins looked momentarily shocked at the sudden appearance of his friend before he bristled almost jumping to his feet.

"Arianna?" he spoke almost questionably before grabbing the small container from her hands. "Did you really just run across half of Shire just to give me this?"

"Next time I make something for you, I expect you to take better care of it," she answered, a small amount of annoyance leaking into her voice as she gave one of his curls a tug, causing Bilbo to let out a small 'Ouch!'.

"Well isn't you face a familiar sight to see this morning, my dear," the man dressed in grey spoke from beside them.

Arianna turned to face the elderly man, finally meeting his light blue eyes as she tried to figure out why he looked so familiar. She was so sure that she had seen it all before: the staff, the grey robes, the pointy hat, even the long beard.

_Oh._

"Gandalf?" she whispered carefully, not daring to believe it just yet. However, all doubt was cleared from her mind the moment he smiled warmly, letting out an all-too-familiar chuckle.

"_Gandalf_!"

She immediately launched herself at the man, her short arms barely wrapping around the man's waist as she buried her face in his robes, smiling widely when she felt him pat her head softly like always.

"Ah, my dear Arianna it is good to see you again," he spoke warmly and she looked up, grinning widely at the elderly wizard.

"Where have you been? It's been three years since your last visited!" she said, sounding almost accusing, but her voice lacked any negative emotion.

"My apologies, but I'm afraid I've been rather busy lately," he replied calmly, leaning a bit more onto his staff.

"_Wait!_ Hold on a second! You two know each other?"

It was Bilbo's almost frantic voice that finally broke the hug between the two, and Arianna beamed cheerfully when she noted Bilbo's confused expression.

"Of course, Mister Baggins," Gandalf answered before she could, "I have known Arianna since she was nothing but a little girl and Subhi took her in. I'm a good friend of his, you see. Speaking of my old friend, how is he doing Arianna?"

There was sudden a flash of pain in her eyes, and Bilbo tensed slightly, glancing almost worriedly in her direction.

She cleared her throat before answering, "He's not too bad, Gandalf. But…he's getting old, and he is not the same anymore. He hadn't helped me with deliveries for over a year now."

Gandalf's expression fell, and he let out a weary sigh, "So that's how it is then."

"So then," Bilbo began after awkward silence descended on them, "What can we help you with?"

Gandalf titles his head to one side. "I am looking for someone to share in an adventure, Mister Baggins."

Arianna's eyes widened slightly, her lips parting a little in disbelief as she quickly turned her head to look at Bilbo who looked almost outraged by the suggestion.

"Sorry, but I believe you won't find anyone interested in adventures around The Shire," he answered quickly, his eyes moving away from the wizard as if silently dismissing him. "Nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things they are…"

"Bilbo…" she murmured irritably. One would think that with him being a Took, he would be pleased about getting a chance like this. But she knew Bilbo well enough to know that he wouldn't give Gandalf a chance to even speak with him now. From his slightly hunched shoulders to the way his eyes wrinkled, forming a tighter line than usual, it was easy to see that Bilbo was now running completely on defence; a thick wall arising between him and the wizard.

"I was rather hoping that you might be the one to share in the adventure," Gandalf said, clearly not giving up yet. Arianna glance almost pleadingly at Bilbo who fidgeted uncomfortably, looking anywhere but the wizard before him.

"No, no, no. Sorry, but I'm not interested, and neither is Arianna, thank you. Good morning!" he spoke hastily, swiftly walking up to Arianna and snatching her wrist in his hand, dragging her away.

She barely managed to catch one last glimpse of Gandalf before Bilbo slammed his house door shut, leaving them both alone. He quickly pressed them against the wall, away from any windows and waited with a barely controlled breath for the wizard to leave. All was quite until a small scratching sound filled the air and Bilbo almost ran to a small window, peering outside curiously. Arianna rolled her eyes and when her friend finally walked back up to her, she slapped him lightly on the head.

"That was rude, Bilbo!" she snapped, rubbing her temples jadedly. "You should have listened to him, this is once in a lifetime opportunity."

"I don't want an adventure, Arianna," he responded, moving around to check each entrance. "I'm a Baggins, we don't go around seeking adventures. I'm happy with the life I have here."

"Are you? Are you really happy with the life you have?" she questioned sceptically before her expression melted into one of sadness. "You're my friend Bilbo, and I know you better than that. I also know that you're lying to me."

Bilbo paused unsurely but didn't say anything, looking away from her before she captured his shoulder, forcing him to look at her.

"Tell me then. Look me in the eyes and tell me that you don't want an adventure, that there isn't a tiniest part of you that craves the excitement and I will never speak of this again."

Bilbo hesitated for a brief moment, his expression uncertain before he gave her a firm look, "_I don't want an adventure, not now not ever_."

Arianna shook her head in disappointment, knowing that he was still not being honest with himself and released his shoulder, taking a small step back.

"Very well. If you please excuse me I need to go back home and brew few more healing potions for my next order."

She walked towards the door and just as she grasped the doorknob, Bilbo's voice stopped her, "Wait, Arianna!"

She looked at her friend, not moving from her spot.

"Do you want to come for dinner tonight?" he blurted out hurriedly, twitching almost awkwardly. "You've only been back for few days from your two weeks trip, I thought we could catch up. I've missed my best friend."

She noticed how he was gripping the burn cream she made for him in his hands, his expression perturbed. Her own expression softened ever so slightly, and a small, gentle smile graces her face as she gave him a light nod.

"Yes, I would love to," she responded, her smile widening at the small sigh of relief that seem to leave him. "What time?"

"Um, eight?"

She gave another nod of agreement. "Eight sounds great, I see you later Bilbo."

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Arianna inhaled deeply, tasting the fresh air on the tip of her tongue as she strolled unhurriedly towards Bilbo's home. The sun had almost set; creating a stunning sunset and she was silently awed by the beautiful colour combinations it created. The Shire truly was stunning no matter when you visited, and no matter how many times she left on one of her trips, she always wanted to come back the moment she left.

Arianna was a healer in training so to speak, or at least she was an apprentice of one. She had been taught about different potions, herbs and healing solutions since she was a little child; it was like second nature to her by now, just like breathing.

Slight breeze blew around her, and she tightened her favourite black cloak around her body. It was old, and rather worn, but it had been her companion on many journeys outside the Shire, and she wouldn't dream of ever parting with it. The evening was warm, but occasional cooler breeze made her happy about her choice of taking the cloak with her just in case.

Not far ahead, she saw few kids playing on the path, their parents all sitting together in the garden chatting about something happily while they ate their dinner and drank ale.

She grinned briefly at the jolly group, and continued her trek up the hill towards Bilbo's house. By the time she walked up to the door the sun was completely set, casting a dark shadow over the beautiful scenery. Arianna unhurriedly opened the gates and approached the wooden door, her attention momentarily drawn to an odd looking 'F' sign on the door that made her bite her lip in wonder, leaving her to ponder what it meant. She decided to tell Bilbo about it later and instead raised her hand to knock on the door.

Bilbo answered after first knock, giving her a small smile and inviting her inside.

"Mmm, it smells great Bilbo," she complimented him as he led her into the kitchen area where the food was laid out.

"Well, you know. We haven't had dinner and a nice chat in a while, haven't we?" he said casually, helping her sit down into her usual seat. "You've been exceptionally busy as of late."

She gave him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry. I know I've been a rubbish friend these last few months."

"No, no, don't be," he voiced quickly, "You and Subhi are helping people – saving them, I admire that."

Arianna regarded him silently, her expression thoughtful for a moment before she gave him a wide smile and nodded.

"So…" she began teasingly, "Planning on feeding an army Bilbo?"

The hobbit flushed in embarrassment, tugging on his napkin carefully.

"It's not that much," he spluttered in reply. "Honestly, just because you have abnormal eating problems…"

She let out a small chuckle that quickly turned into barely contained laughter with Bilbo joining in soon after while they both eyed the beautifully roasted fish that sat on the table.

Their laughter was interrupted by a sudden knock on the door, causing Bilbo to look towards it with small frown adoring his face. Arianna glanced at her best friend in confusion, her eyebrows furrowing in puzzlement.

"Did you invite anyone else to our little get-together?" she asked thoughtfully, giving him a brief look.

"No, no I didn't," he answered, sounding perplexed as he stud up. "Maybe it's one of the neighbours?"

Arianna shrugged in reply and stood up as Bilbo threw the door open only to find a large, balding dwarf standing on the other side of the door.

He stared at them just as the duo stared at him before the dwarf bowed.

"Dwalin, at your service."

The dwarf then pushed past stunned Bilbo and entered the little hobbit home, giving Arianna another nod as he passed her.

"You got anythin' to eat? I'm starvin'," he spoke as he handed his cloak to her, walking into the kitchen and busying himself with food that was on the table.

The dwarf named Dwalin said nothing else while he continued devouring Bilbo's food, causing the hobbit in question flinch almost comically with each bite and slurp. Arianna was puzzled as well, especially since it was clear that Bilbo did not know this dwarf, which meant that some random stranger was consuming dinner Bilbo made for them.

Soon, another knock came from the outside and Bilbo was almost hesitant to answer the door, unsure what else he would find there. Arianna nudged him towards it, giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze when he gazed at her apprehensively.

A moment later, Bilbo came back with a distressed look on his face, and two more dwarfs trudging behind him.

"And may I ask what is the name of this lovely maiden?" one of them spoke, and Arianna shifted self-consciously under praise, not very used to being called 'lovely'.

She bowed her head. "Arianna, at your service."

They both bowed in unison. "Fili and Kili, at yours," they spoke together, and Arianna jumped slightly when they both took one of her hands in their own and placed a gentle kiss on her knuckles.

It was obvious that Fili and Kili were younger than Dwalin if only physically. They also lacked the usual sternness most dwarfs seemed to posses, not to mention the fact that the very air around them seemed more cheerful and carefree. They appeared to be kind though, their eyes burning brightly with acceptance and compassion. The air around them was not cold and uninviting but instead warm and full of mischief while they both beamed at her cheekily.

"Please, take a seat. You must me thirsty?" she said as she moved around Bilbo's kitchen to prepare them drinks.

Bilbo, on other hand, stood completely speechless while more and more dwarfs began piling into his home, keeping both him and Arianna busy. It seemed like dwarfs were everywhere, all differing in looks and age as they slowly but surely overtook Bilbo's home.

Arianna huffed in frustration while she tried to regain some order in the kitchen, leaving Bilbo to deal with the sudden arrival of Gandalf himself. Patience wearing thin, Bilbo began snapping at Gandalf, ordering him to explain what was going on and stop this madness immediately.

However, the moment he said that, the dwarfs suddenly started singing merrily while effortlessly moving around the kitchen. Arianna watched in poorly veiled amazement as the messy kitchen began cleaning itself, the dirty plate in her hands suddenly disappearing when Kili snatched it fluently out of her hands, giving her a mischievous wink along the way.

Few minutes later the song came to an end and the kitchen was left spotless, leaving Arianna completely stunned with astonishment.

"_Incredible_." she breathed faintly, clasping her hands together as she marvelled at the remarkable show she just witnessed.

Bilbo, however, seemed less than pleased, his lips drawn in a tight line. He looked ready to explode, and when another faint knock came from the outside, he looked like he was going to throw a fit. Arianna walked over to calm him but it was already too late.

"Who now?" he snapped angrily and stormed towards the door pulling it open with a sharp jerk.

The man on the other side of it was most definitely a dwarf, yet at the same time he was nothing like others she had met. He held himself with air of authority and strength, his presence alone commanding everyones' attention. His features were darker, his eyes icy blue, shining with scorching intensity that would make it hard to look into them directly for more than a fleeting moment. There was a hint of arrogance about him, but there was also something else, something much harder to pinpoint from one look alone. Oddly enough, it felt like he had a heavy burden on his shoulders, his eyes cold but not emotionless like she had seen in some men before.

Just with one look, Arianna knew that this man was in a league of his own.

_Untouchable. _

"Bilbo, Arianna, allow me to introduce you to the leader of our company, Thorin Oakenshield."

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**AN:**_ Hello!~ Not a very thrilling start, but this is more of a teaser to see if any of you are interested. _

_What can I say, the idea for this came out of nowhere, in fact, I was in the shower (where all the best ideas are born), when it came to me. Thorin is a hard, complex character with many layers to him, and my usual readers know by know how much I like writing darker, more complex characters. Purely because they challenge a writer so much more. At least this time, I didn't write about the villain! ;P_

_Also, more will be revealed about Arianna and her past later on, so keep your eyes and ears open._

_Hope you like it so far! _

_Regards._

**_A._**


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